Where a Three-Star Chef Goes on His Days Off: Mauro Colagreco’s Riviera Favorites

Mauro Colagreco has spent two decades running Mirazur, his three-Michelin-star restaurant in the seaside town of Menton. This year marks the restaurant’s 20th anniversary, and to celebrate, Colagreco has invited Spanish culinary legend Ferran Adrià—of El Bulli fame—into the kitchen for a special collaboration menu in April and May. Adrià is giving a molecular twist to Mirazur’s most iconic dishes, remixing the menu with a touch of nostalgia for regulars. But the heart of every plate remains the same: seafood pulled straight from the Mediterranean, herbs sourced from the hinterland, and a style that feels both refined and welcoming.

“What still excites me about the French Riviera and the nearby Italian Riviera is a very refined tradition,” Colagreco says. “Even rustic dishes have a certain elegance. The seafood flavors are never too strong, the plates are never too heavy.” That same balance shows up in the places he visits on his days off—and he shared a few of his current favorites.

In Nice, Chef Dominique Le Stanc—who once earned two Michelin stars at Le Negresco—now runs a tiny 18-seat spot where he serves classic Niçoise food. Colagreco recommends the pichade, a tomato-based tart similar to pizza but made with olive oil dough, or the daube, a slow-cooked beef stew. Go in late spring for a cherry dessert that’s just macerated fruit, cream, and mint—simple and unforgettable.

Cross into Italy and head to Pigna, where an 86-year-old woman at Terme makes all her ravioli by hand. The artichoke ravioli is tender and unlike anything else. Colagreco orders two or three different pastas every visit. Call ahead to confirm they’re open.

In Ventimiglia, Mirazur alumni Antonio and Valentina Buono run a one-Michelin-star spot that Colagreco predicts will earn two soon. Their calamari in ink sauce is only available in season—February to April, then October to November—but it’s worth the trip.

Back in Nice, another former Mirazur head chef, Florencia, opened a restaurant with her husband Lorenzo. Their cooking blends Argentine and Italian traditions. Colagreco loves the spiny artichoke with glazed veal sweetbreads and a local fish dish with shellfish sauce and Champagne emulsion.

For dessert, he heads to Roquebrune-Cap-Martin for fior di latte gelato. “Every flavor is light,” he says. “You eat one and just want another.”